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At approximately 7:40 am, a man exited a white Hyundai with an axe and proceeded to smash multiple windows and utter threats at a bank located in the 1600 block of Ellis Street on Jan. 30.
The incident was unprovoked, and the male was unknown to witnesses, according to the RCMP.
Kelowna RCMP, along with the South East District Emergency Response Team (ERT), immediately began the process of identifying the suspect.
Witnesses were able to provide a license plate number, which helped police track the suspect.
At approximately 9 am, officers located the male in his vehicle parked on a dead-end street in the Ellison area.
Using their police vehicles, they successfully blocked the suspect from leaving, and with assistance from the Kelowna Police Dog Service, the male was arrested without incident.
The suspect has been transported to Kelowna cells pending a further investigation.
“These types of unprovoked attacks on our local businesses are concerning to the RCMP,” says Cst. Mike Della-Paolera, a media relations officer with the Kelowna RCMP.
“Officers will continue this investigation in order to understand why he carried out this attack on the bank and then fled.”
The Kelowna RCMP is seeking witnesses who have yet to speak with police or who may have dash camera recordings that captured this incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP non-emergency line at (250) 762-3300 and reference file number 2023-5368.
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